BIPOC Book Recommendations
Evergreen Post (Updated as New Favorites are Discovered)
Collection of my favorite BIPOC fiction and nonfiction books. In no particular order.
Fiction
Olga Dies Dreaming
by Xochitl Gonzalez
Why You Should Read: This isn’t a romance, but I was squealing at how cute the romance in the book was. This book explores identity, family, politics, and revolutions. It was complex and emotional and amazing.
Seven Days in June
by Tia Williams
Why You Should Read: The emotions! The angst. This felt like a literary fiction romance, rather than a romance-romance, if that makes sense. Also trigger warning because the main character is a romance writer who hates the romance genre. I found that a little off-putting as a romance writer myself, but the book was good enough that I looked past it.
Erasure: A Novel
by Percival Everett
Why You Should Read: There are just moments that hit you. Turns of phrases that are beautiful and evocative. The plot was such a good narrative of a microcosm illustrating the macrocosm.
The Other Black Girl
by Zakiya Dalila Harris
Why You Should Read: I’m not a super big fan of thrillers or like detective-y type books, but this was a nice contemporary setting with some magical realism thrown in and I was constantly on the edge of my seat, wondering what the heck was going on.
The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi
by Shannon Chakraborty
Why You Should Read: An older woman pirate comes out of retirement to kick butt
The Bandit Queens
by Parini Shroff
Why You Should Read: Satisfyingly angering. Revenge against the patriarchy
Kaikeyi
by Vaishnavi Patel
Why You Should Read: Tickled my feminist heart. Part of my feminine rage book recommendations. The book had so many twists and turns that I didn’t know who was right or wrong. I liked that the main character made decisions I didn’t agree with but could viscerally understand why she made them.
The Kiss Quotient
by Helen Hoang
Why You Should Read: There is a lot of inaccurate information about autism and Asperger’s syndrome on the internet (mostly TikTok). As someone who is not autistic, this book helped me understand what it was like to live in a world as someone with a different brain. It’s one of those books that leave you feeling like you just want to hug everyone you see and say “I know it’s hard to be human, but you are doing a good job.”
Last Night at the Telegraph Club
by
Why You Should Read: YA sapphic romance set in the 1950s. The historical setting was so descriptive. The emotions explored felt real and relatable.
Nonfiction
Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia
by Sabrina Strings
Why You Should Read: Racism and fat phobia are interlinked. This book is well researched and eye opening. It’s important to understand the history of racial oppression and how black women have been treated to understand how we all feel about our bodies today.
Becoming
by Michelle Obama
Why You Should Read: Dude, Michelle Obama is just amazing. That’s why you should read it.
So You Want to Talk About Race
by Ijeoma Oluo
Why You Should Read: I’ve read several books on white supremacy, structural racism, and privilege, but this was the one that hit it home for me the most. There are personal stories from the author, as well as descriptions and explanations for concepts that we hear floating around the internet. If this book upsets you or makes you want to shut down and disengage with these topics, I recommend listening to this podcast and coming back to it.
Podcast: Anti-Racist Thought Work for White People by Kara Loewentheil
Stay True: A Memoir
by Hua Hsu
Why You Should Read: The 90’s vibes were immaculate. As someone who was born in the 90’s and doesn’t actually know what the 90’s was like, I felt like I did. The writing is beautiful and descriptive. It was like a deep and warm hug. Sad but lovely, like in a beautiful sad way, a bittersweet sadness